artfulhelixhttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com
I walk a fine line between this world and fantasy Every thing people see I see differently Come through the door & take a journey with meFri, 22 Sep 2017 18:13:11 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngartfulhelixhttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com
How I edit as I write without an outlinehttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/how-i-edit-as-i-write-without-an-outline/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/how-i-edit-as-i-write-without-an-outline/#respondWed, 15 Oct 2014 12:50:37 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/how-i-edit-as-i-write-without-an-outline/Linda Maye Adams: Land ho! I just blew past my book’s halfway point. Now I’m on the side where the story has the potential to suddenly start moving very fast (writing-wise). Sometimes that gets it’s own momentum. With luck, three more weeks, maybe less. I’m constantly moving around in the story, making…]]>

This way of writing reminds me of how I tend to write, so I thought I would share. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you for the awesome post Linda Maye Adams.

Land ho! I just blew past my book’s halfway point. Now I’m on the side where the story has the potential to suddenly start moving very fast (writing-wise). Sometimes that gets it’s own momentum. With luck, three more weeks, maybe less.

I’m constantly moving around in the story, making changes. Everyone tends to say, “Don’t edit/revise as you write,” but really, it’s the most natural thing for me to do because it’s part of the creation process. It’s part of how I discover the story as I write, since I don’t know where everything is going.

And yeah, I did follow the “Don’t edit/revise as you write” for a while because it’s one of those pieces of advice that makes sense, which is what made it bad — the common sense feeling of it is why I did it. It’s actually unnatural for me to write straight through to the…

]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/how-i-edit-as-i-write-without-an-outline/feed/0artfulhelixHUT ART…https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/hut-art/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/hut-art/#respondTue, 14 Oct 2014 17:19:41 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/hut-art/]]>Absolutely beautiful art, Thank you Art Festival ( https://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/30443978/ )]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/hut-art/feed/0Featured Image -- 1360artfulhelix27 ways you may be (unknowingly!) misusing wordshttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/27-ways-you-may-be-unknowingly-misusing-words/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/27-ways-you-may-be-unknowingly-misusing-words/#commentsWed, 02 Apr 2014 20:13:44 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/27-ways-you-may-be-unknowingly-misusing-words/]]>]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/27-ways-you-may-be-unknowingly-misusing-words/feed/6artfulhelixNational Poetry Month round uphttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/national-poetry-month-round-up/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/national-poetry-month-round-up/#commentsMon, 31 Mar 2014 02:17:12 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/national-poetry-month-round-up/]]>Awesome list of things going on for National Poetry Month. ]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/national-poetry-month-round-up/feed/2artfulhelixThe Rain Keeps Falling – short story 715 wordshttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/the-rain-keeps-falling-short-story-715-words/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/the-rain-keeps-falling-short-story-715-words/#commentsMon, 24 Mar 2014 13:49:26 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/?p=1353]]>I am part of some really grate writing groups on LinkedIn, one of them dose a monthly short story contest, the group is lively with lots of active members. I haven’t joined in on one of these monthly contest yet, (mind you its just for fun, and practice our righting, and righting outside our comfort zones.) but I figured it was worth a shot. All the competitions have a different set of parameters, but all are 600-715 words. This one was suspense, it had to start with someone on their day off, and end with them getting news that will change their life.

I have never written suspense before, and none of my other short stories are under 1,000 words, I thinks that’s why this one interested me. So here it is, my entry I didn’t get to enter.

The Rain Keeps Falling

715 words

She leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen, a fresh cup of coffee in hand, staring out the big bay window, past the dirty glass and out into the gray damp morning. “Of course, it had to rain today. All I wanted to do was pull the weeds, my poor flowers look like they are lost in a jungle.”

Taking a sip from her cup, she nearly drops it as the freshly brewed coffee sears the tip of her tongue. Setting the cup down she slowly scans her home, the thick dust with little paw prints scattered through it, a sink full of coffee cups and spoons, a dead bouquet in a dry vase. “I really have let this place go haven’t I Storm? What am I to do when it’s just you and me?” She says scratching the little gray tiger striped cat under her uplifted chin.

Her cell phone breaks the silence ringing with Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 9. She let it play on for a moment before answering. “Good morning, Stacy Smitten speaking.”

“Good Morning Miss. Smitten. Mr. Cotter wanted more copies printed up for your presentation. You know the one he reassigned to Mike Garfield. Any way I need your password so I can get to the files. It’s right on your desktop right?” Stacy’s young and anxious intern Mandy asked in a slightly wavering voice, always the kiss up hiding behind a blocky pair of red plastic glasses, but full of potential, and Stacy’s favorite.

“You always sound like you think you’re in trouble Mandy, try calming down now and then would you. Yes on the desk top you cannot miss it, and the password, it’s ‘come home soon’, every other letter in caps starting with the first letter. I feel like I haven’t been home in ages, is there anything else?” She said sounding only a little aggravated, after all she had given the girl this information several times before she left the office for her week off.

“Right Miss. Smitten, sorry, I know I um… sorry. If I can ask ma’am… has there been any word yet?” The girl asked, more timidly than usual.

“No, nothing yet, but I know he is out there, he has to be. Thank you for asking Mandy, good bye.” she hung up her cell phone without waiting for the girl to respond. “She meant well at least.”

She took a long deep swallow of her coffee, taking in the quiet morning again. “Nothing like that first cup of coffee in the morning.”

She looked out the cloudy window once again hoping to see the rain clouds broken and the sun shining bright, but beyond the dust-covered glass all she found was a wall of water. “Now what am I to do? Cleaning really doesn’t interest me, there’s no point when no one will be coming over. I’m talking to myself again. Let’s just say I was talking to you stormy, that sounds better.” She says giving the cat a little scratch between the ears.

“Maybe a little T.V. will help fill the quiet. Some day Max will fill that quiet with the pitter-patter of my grandchildren’s feet. He will make such a wonderful father and husband one day.” She said to the loudly purring bundle of fur as she pet her, flipping through the channels with her free hand. Disappointed she shut the T.V. off, and drank some more of her coffee.

A nock on the door made her jump, “Now who is could that possibly be?” She walked to the door slowly and peered out the tiny window, only the top of a soaked army green hat, and a wet pink cheek visible through the small glass pain.

Her heart jumping she says “Max.”

Taking a deep breath, she wipes a single tear from her cheek, and opens the door slowly.

Standing in the pouring rain she sees three somber faced youths, fully dressed in all there army finery, the one in front holding a folded American flag. Her heart drops like a stone to the bottom of her stomach, slowly she sinks to the floor, as she whispers “No”. Her tears flow and everything fades away, but the rain keeps falling as she sits alone.

Found this video on Movies.com in their Movies News section. The video was made by a Brooklyn, New York based Internet comedy troupe POYKPAC Comedy. You can find them on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/POYKPAC. Writer-Director-Editor Ryan Hunter.

I think this was very well done. Its evident Ryan Hunter took his time choosing every line carefully. Some of these movies are before my time and I had never heard of them (I do watch old movies, love them, even the old bad effects). I liked the video so much I had to share. I will say this though, while I like the added movie posters for each movie title used, I find it very distracting in the middle of the screen. That’s really the only thing I can find wrong with this video

So what do you guys think ?

]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/movie-title-breakup/feed/0artfulhelixYou really believe that? Good Lord, why?https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/you-really-believe-that-good-lord-why/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/you-really-believe-that-good-lord-why/#respondWed, 12 Feb 2014 12:16:29 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/you-really-believe-that-good-lord-why/Live & Learn: This much is irrefutable: How you direct your gaze, where you place your energy and your conviction, how you tune your perception and with what integrity and attitude you offer yourself to the world means, well, everything. Why can’t this basic truth be broadened out to humanity as a…]]>

This much is irrefutable: How you direct your gaze, where you place your energy and your conviction, how you tune your perception and with what integrity and attitude you offer yourself to the world means, well, everything. Why can’t this basic truth be broadened out to humanity as a whole?…

Maybe that’s a little much. Maybe it’s better to test it all out yourself, every day, on micro scale, to feel into what you really believe, what you know to be true at core level, versus what you’ve been fed, and by whom, and for what spurious purpose…

Who the hell told you you’re broken? Who told you you’re an addict, a loser, a Type-A, a manic depressive? Who said you’re too weak to quit smoking, to start exercising, to eat better, to find love or to quit being an overbearing jerk with zero redeeming qualities? Who told you humanity…

]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/you-really-believe-that-good-lord-why/feed/0painting,art,woman,redartfulhelixBeing a Parent & Writer / Artisthttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/being-a-parent-writer-artist/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/being-a-parent-writer-artist/#commentsMon, 10 Feb 2014 14:12:54 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/?p=1302]]> My oldest son will be 11 soon, and yes he is changing right before my eyes. This both terrifies me and makes me happy, because he is growing up. I struggle to balance my work and my family like most other parents out there in the world, and there are times we feel as though we are failing. My sons grades have started to slip, they are still good grades but almost all of them down from the beginning of the year. I can see his frustration, but when I try to help he gets angry with me. He used to love reading and doesn’t any more. His teachers tell me how smart he is, and the reasons for his slipping grades are small and fixable, but he wont cooperate with me. I know I don’t spend enough time with my children ether, and he is in a lot of extra activities all year long. I am hoping things will get better this summer when he and I will have time to write the story he wants to do with me, but I don’t know how to help him now.

Any parents out there in my position before or now? I wouldn’t normally post something like this on my blog, but is this not like a community? So I thought I would ask from others who have been there done that. As much as I hate to admit it, I wasn’t exactly given the best child raising skills growing up, I learned a bit what not to do. So I am feeling a little lost, groping my way through the dark. What have you done?

]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/being-a-parent-writer-artist/feed/2artfulhelix3 Deadly Traps for a Writerhttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/3-deadly-traps-for-a-writer/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/3-deadly-traps-for-a-writer/#commentsTue, 04 Feb 2014 21:48:30 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/3-deadly-traps-for-a-writer/Writing Is Hard Work: There are so many things that can distract writers. Writers are thinkers and dreamers, and if there is anything I have learned from my son, who suffers from ADHD, it is that distractions can kill any chance of the completion of a task. But what are the three…]]>

There are so many things that can distract writers. Writers are thinkers and dreamers, and if there is anything I have learned from my son, who suffers from ADHD, it is that distractions can kill any chance of the completion of a task.

But what are the three things that are deadly for a writer, deadly vipers that might poison any chance of completing a project or a WIP?

The following three would top my list:

Life – Perhaps you have angel wings and perhaps rainbows follow you everywhere and perhaps you ride to work every day on a unicorn that smells like angel-food cake, but quite frankly the world is a much more harsh environment for a writer than most. Writers are typically sensitive to their world and often go around with their skin removed…at least poets and fiction writers. It is tough, sometimes, to keep that world at…

]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/3-deadly-traps-for-a-writer/feed/2artfulhelixMom creates fairy tales with napping sonhttps://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/mom-creates-fairy-tales-with-napping-son/
https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/mom-creates-fairy-tales-with-napping-son/#respondFri, 31 Jan 2014 17:05:26 +0000http://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/mom-creates-fairy-tales-with-napping-son/]]>I love this! So creative and fun. Although her son may one day say “Mom that’s so embarrassing! Don’t show her that.” ]]>https://artfulhelix.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/mom-creates-fairy-tales-with-napping-son/feed/0artfulhelix